The morning light filtered through the mall's broken skylights in thin, dusty beams, painting golden stripes across the sleeping settlement. Tony woke with a start, heart racing as if his dreams had been full of crashing symphonies and silent voids. He sat up on his mat, blinking against the brightness, and realized the air felt different—crisper, almost humming with possibility. The broken trombone pieces lay beside him like loyal soldiers, and when he touched the cold brass, a soft vibration ran up his arm, warm and welcoming.
Lila was already awake, crouched by their tiny stove, boiling water for instant coffee scavenged from some long-forgotten warehouse. She looked over her shoulder, eyes still carrying yesterday's mix of awe and worry. "You slept like the dead. Or like someone who just became a god. Which one is it?"
Tony rubbed his face, grinning despite the lingering ache in his bones. "Both, probably. My head feels like a radio stuck between stations." He stretched, joints popping, and let out a small, testing hum. The coffee pot rattled gently on the stove, then settled as if apologizing for making noise.
Lila poured two mugs, handed him one, and sat cross-legged in front of him. "We need to talk about what this means. Not just the power. The titles. Everyone who woke up strong got one. I got Aqua of the Sea. You got… something bigger. But you need to understand how the rest of the world works now."
Tony sipped the bitter coffee, warmth spreading through his chest. "Hit me. I'm ready."
She took a deep breath, voice dropping low so no one passing their curtain could overhear. "After The Resonance, the system didn't give everyone the same thing. Most people got nothing. Their souls shattered. The ones who survived but stayed weak? They got scraps—little tricks like always knowing which way is north or making plants grow a bit faster. Useless in a fight, but enough to keep them alive."
Tony nodded slowly. He'd seen those people every day—quiet, careful, always on the edges of the settlement.
"Then came the strong ones," Lila continued, eyes distant as if remembering her own awakening. "S-Class. The system calls them Titles. Not just powers. Titles. Like you're claiming a piece of reality itself. Only one person can have each one. No duplicates. The moment someone gets it, anyone else trying for the same concept gets blocked or downgraded."
She lifted her hand. A thin stream of water rose from her mug, twisting into a perfect spiral before sinking back down. "Aqua of the Sea. I can command every drop on the planet if I push hard enough. Tides, rain, rivers, even the water in someone's blood. But it costs me. Soul Harmony drains fast if I overdo it. Push too far and the backlash hits—headaches, nosebleeds, sometimes worse."
Tony stared at the water, then at her. "So there's only one Aqua of the Sea in the whole world?"
"Only one," she confirmed. "And the system makes sure of it. That's why S-Class holders are so rare. And so dangerous. We become targets. Warlords want us. Raiders want to kill us. Cults want to silence us."
She leaned closer, voice dropping even lower. "There are others out there. Big ones. Bale of Fire—he's a walking volcano, burns through anything, even magic shields. Mistress of Seduction—she can make you love her while you hand over your weapon. Whisperer of Winds—Elias, the scout we met once—he hears everything on the breeze, slices with invisible blades. Titan of Earth—he reshapes mountains like clay. Veil of Shadows—she disappears into darkness and chokes you with it. Stormcaller—lightning follows her like a puppy. Oracle of Visions—she sees futures, but it costs her sight for days. And more. Way more. Each one is the absolute best at their thing. No competition."
Tony whistled softly, the sound coming out richer than he expected, making the mug in his hand vibrate gently. "And then there's me. X-Class. God of Songs and Music. Which means…"
"Which means you're not just the best," Lila finished, eyes wide. "You're the only one. Ever. All sound. All rhythm. All vibration. The system called you God because there's no higher step. Ten times stronger than any S-Class, at least on paper. But you're still learning. Still raw. And if the wrong person finds out too soon…"
Tony finished for her. "They'll come for me. Hard."
She nodded, fierce pride and fiercer fear warring on her face. "That's why we stay quiet. You practice in secret. Small stuff. No big shows. Not yet. We move careful, like we always have. But when the time comes—and it will—you'll show them what a god can really do."
Tony looked at the trombone pieces, then lifted them like a toast. "To bad ideas and broken instruments."
Lila clinked her mug against the brass. "To the most ridiculous god the world's ever seen."
Outside their curtain, the settlement stirred—kids calling, adults starting the day's work, the fragile normalcy holding on by threads. But inside, two siblings shared a secret that could reshape everything.
Tony let out one quiet note, just for himself. The air shimmered. The lantern swayed in perfect time.
And somewhere far away, in the shadows of ruined cities, the God of Silence felt the first faint tremor of sound he could not touch.
He hated it already.